Having lost the first two matches of the season against Bath and Southampton, men’s 1st fencing were hard-pressed for a victory to secure further play in league 1. With several important players back from injury, first home match this year and a large group of enthusiastic spectators, the stage was set for a Cardiff win.

Aberystwyth came with a similar story having lost to Swansea and Bath in their first two games. The 7-man team were equally pressed for victory to avoid relegation.

Aberystwyth started strong in epee, scoring 35 hits against Cardiff’s 45. Although the individual fights were well-matched, Aberystwyth only won two out of nine bouts. While George Hawksworth and Edward Sibert fenced well, Chris Wild had an especially good day on the piste with an indicator of +6. Further praise is deserved as Wild went on to fence every single weapon and win every bout.

Their luck did not improve for foil or sabre as Cardiff won 45 – 19 and 45 – 22 respectively. Green and Houlston’sperformances over the last two matches secured them the opportunity to fence two bouts each, leading to four important wins for Cardiff. The return of Wild and Brien also added important stability and confidence to the team.

A final score of 135 – 76 meant Cardiff had won their first match this season. While the return of experienced fencers was important, it is important to recognize the improvement seen in the new team members over the last few weeks. This was a solid win for Cardiff, which places them in 5th place. November 27th the team will take on Southampton in the first cup match. Southampton has already beaten Cardiff once this year and the team will need to spend the next few weeks to prepare for the very difficult and important game. The last league match before Christmas will be home against Swansea on December 4th, where a win could bring Cardiff up to 3rd place.